


next stop- everywhere

by alpacamybags



Category: Supernatural
Genre: But whatever, Castiel is Jack Kline's Parent, Gen, Jack loves his mom and dad y'all, Post-Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, and they love himmmm, doesn't fit with canon anymore now that the finale's aired, lots of hugs, lots of love, major spoilers so be careful please!, sweet wholesome family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:54:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27538726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alpacamybags/pseuds/alpacamybags
Summary: Jack knew that he had no more time, and also all the time in the world. He could be anywhere, and everywhere, at once. In everything. And he would give the world so much love, all the kindness he’d always wanted to give. Because all he’d ever wanted was to be good.And now he could be. For everyone, forever. It felt peaceful. It felt right. But first, there were two people he wanted to see.
Relationships: Castiel & Jack Kline, Jack Kline & Kelly Kline
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	next stop- everywhere

Jack knew that he had no more time, and also all the time in the world. He could be anywhere, and everywhere, at once. In everything. And he would give the world so much love, all the kindness he’d always wanted to give. Because all he’d ever wanted was to be good. 

And now he could be. For everyone, forever. It felt peaceful. It felt right. But first, there were two people he wanted to see.

Heaven felt different, like this. Smaller, almost, though it wasn’t different. Jack was. But he glided through the halls to his mother’s door, materializing just in front of it. He pushed it open.

She was sitting in the garden from her childhood, just as beautiful as ever. Her dress was the same from the last time, white with flowers. The scene was as peaceful as Jack felt. 

“Hi, mom,” he said, his voice quiet. Steady, even though he didn’t quite feel it. He was beyond the need for steady, now. 

“Jack!” she gasped, scrambling up off the ground to come over to him. They hugged, Jack feeling his heart swell even more. He’d missed her everyday of his life. But now he realized that the people who touched your life, they were always with you. And they always would be.

“Jack?” Kelly asked, a hand cupping his cheek. She thumbed away a tear he didn’t realize was falling. “Baby, are you-”

He took her hands in his, smiling. It didn’t feel any different than the last time. “I’m good. I’m- I’m better than good. I have a lot to tell you.” 

They sat on the stairs of Kelly’s childhood home, hand in hand. Roosevelt, the dog, ran around their feet for a while. Jack scratched behind the dog’s ears. 

“So… you’re God now?” 

“I don’t know.” Jack looked into his mother’s eyes, and he just saw love. No fear, no apprehension, no secrets. Just… love. Kind, like his mother, was all he’d wanted to be. “I don’t- I don’t think so. I’m just me.”

Kelly let out a laugh, soft and joyful, the sound one of the most beautiful things Jack had ever heard. “Just you is all you’ve ever needed to be, Jack. God, I’m so proud of you.” 

Jack hugged her again, pressing his face into her shoulder. 

“What do you do now?” she asked, pulling back and squeezing his shoulders. 

“I don’t know. I think I just- exist. In everything, and in everyone. I want to make things better, but I don’t really know how.” 

He didn’t feel any apprehension, though. He’d know what needed to be done, eventually. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it would be instinctive. It was the culmination of everything he’d learned, everything he’d ever loved and everything he’d ever lost. It was just… life. 

“You’ll figure it out.” Kelly took his hands and squeezed. “I know you will.”

“Thank you.” Jack looked into her eyes, and he meant it. Every letter, every breath. There had been times where he’d wanted to die, or wished he was never born. All he ever seemed to do was hurt everyone around him. But now- he was happy. And he was so, so glad that he was here. 

“Thank _you_ , Jack. I always knew you were going to change the world.” Kelly laughed again, her smile brighter than the sun. Jack loved her so much. 

“Do you- do you want to go back? I could send you back to earth, bring you back to life. The Winchesters could help you get started again.”

Kelly looked surprised, and bit her lip in thought. “No,” she said, slowly, like she wasn’t quite sure. “No,” she repeated, assured this time. “Thank you, sweetheart, but I’m- I’m good. I think my story’s over. Will you visit me?” 

“Of course.” Jack smiled. He’d like nothing more. “But I’ll always be here, even when I’m not… here.”

“I know. But I still want to see you. There’s still so much I don’t know, so much we haven’t done. We’ve never read a book together, we’ve never had lunch-”

“We have time,” Jack assured. And because he’d never really been able to say it before, he added what had always been out of reach and longed for. “Mom. I promise we have time.”

“I love you, Jack.” Another smile, soothing his heart even further. He couldn’t wait to see it again. 

“I love you too.” 

Jack kissed her on the cheek, letting himself shimmer away and go where he willed himself, to the other person his heart longed to see. His peace and his mother’s love carried him like a leaf on the wind. 

The Empty was quiet. It seemed like the Shadow had finally gone back to sleep. And the nothingness was much less daunting when Jack wasn’t just a boy anymore. He materialized in a crouch next to a familiar form sprawled on the ground, sleeping, trench coat splayed to the side. 

“Castiel,” he whispered, and watched as his eyes sprung open. 

Cas pushed himself to standing, looking around in fear. It was jarring to see him like that. Jack stood with him, waiting with a smile for when Castiel’s gaze landed on him. 

“Jack?” 

Jack could feel his smile cracking, some of that earthly pain dripping back in. When Dean came back without Cas, it had felt like… like a piece of his heart had just broken away. It was terrifying and painful and too little and too much all at once. But he was here now, and he got to see Cas again. He knew not everyone who lost someone got that chance. 

“I missed you,” Jack said, stepping forward and burying his face in Cas’s shoulder. He didn’t cry, though he felt like maybe he wanted to. He was just happy. Like getting to hug Castiel again was a gift that healed him from the inside out. 

Cas, to his credit, was hugging back just as fiercely. They pulled away, looking into each other’s eyes, the nothing around them forgotten. It was just the two of them. 

“Jack, what are you-”

“We got him, Cas,” Jack said, proudly. “We defeated Chuck.” 

A whisper of a smile crossed Castiel’s face, and then it fell. “Did you- no. No. You can’t be-”

“I took his power,” Jack continued. “He’s human, and that’s how he’ll stay. But now I’m-”

“You’re the Lord,” Cas breathed, and it sounded _reverent_. Jack didn’t like that.

“No. No, I’m not. I’m still just me. But I’m also- I’m everything. But I’m still…” _I’m still your son._

Cas nodded, understanding dawning across his face. He reached out to squeeze Jack’s shoulder, hand warm and reassuring as always. “You’re still you.” A moment, then- “You know, your mother and I always believed that you’d bring paradise. And I always had faith that you’d manage it. I _knew_ that your story would lead you here. And I am so, so proud of you. And Kelly- I know she’d be proud of you, too.” 

Jack beamed. “I know. I saw her.”

Cas’s smile was easy, then. Soft and happy. “I’m glad.” 

_Happy._

Jack had so many questions. 

“Can we talk?” he asked, looking up at his father. 

“Of course,” Castiel said, and they sat down cross-legged in nothingness, facing each other. 

“Sam and Dean, they’re safe?” Cas asked. 

“Yeah. They’re safe.” Cas nodded, and Jack bit his lip. He shouldn’t feel nervous, not with everything _new_ that he was now, but maybe there was still more of him left in him than he’d thought. 

“Cas? Dean said- he said that you’d summoned the Empty. Was it- was it my fault that you died? What made you happy?”

“Oh, Jack, no. It’s not your fault. No, I- I suppose it’s mine.” Cas shrugged, looking up and around or maybe below and to the side. In nothing it was hard to tell. “I saw an opportunity to save Dean. To save all of you. And it would also stop Billie from finishing her revenge. And so I- well. I suppose I just let go. I think you know what that feels like. You seem… lighter.”

Jack nodded. He did get it. “I am, yes.” 

Castiel smiled at him, so gentle and kind. Jack was proud to have learned that from him, too. “I’m glad.”

“Are you happy here? I know you don’t like this place.” Jack rested his hand on his knee, resisting the temptation to pick at his jeans. 

“It’s less daunting, now. Somehow.”

“I could bring you back to life,” Jack offered. Just like he had to his mother. “Sam and Dean miss you. I know they’d be happy to have you back.”

“Thank you, Jack. But I- I’m very old. And I’m finally at peace. You know, just sleeping for a while- it doesn’t sound so bad. And besides.” Another lopsided grin. “You’re in charge now. And I have faith in you, Jack.” 

Jack looked up at him, eyes shining. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for being my father.”

“Thank you for being my son.” 

They smiled at each other, and Jack felt that shaky fragment of his heart knocked loose by loss stitched back into place. Secured where it belonged. 

“What will you dream about?” he asked. 

“Well, the Empty isn’t- we dream about regrets here, mostly. Mistakes. Maybe I won’t dream at all, I’m not quite sure.”

Jack frowned, and just like that there was a shift, a pop, and the nothingness was a little bit less heavy. Lighter, more peaceful, like the both of them. Like the darkness late at night when you turn off your last light to go to sleep. Soft, calm. Like a blanket, or the night sky.

“Not anymore,” Jack said. “Trust me. So- what will you dream about now? What do you want to see?”

“Oh…” Cas trailed his eyes around. “I guess… Heaven. Flying. Friends I’ve lost. Sam and Dean.” he looked up, eyes soft and glimmering with moisture, even with no light shining into them. “You.” 

Jack smiled. “That sounds nice.” 

“It does. Thank you, Jack.” 

“You’re welcome.” And, because he had time ahead of him for the first time, Jack thought he should add another word he’d always wanted to say but had always been stuck, hidden just out of reach. “Dad.”

Castiel’s smile was as bright as Kelly’s. “Jack, you- you don’t have to call me that if you don’t want to.” 

“No, I think I do.” 

“Okay.” Cas was still smiling, and it made Jack’s heart swell. Cas could finally be _happy_. “I love you, Jack. I know you will do amazing things. This world- we’re all so lucky to have you.”

“I love you too, Cas.” Jack shuffled over to lean into Cas’s side, resting his head on his father’s shoulder. They had time. Time to just be, and be together. Jack wanted to enjoy every second.

After a while, Jack stood, and Cas followed him, a hand still settled on Jack’s shoulder. 

“I think it’s time for me to go,” Jack said. He wasn’t sad, not really. He just… was. 

“I know.” Cas gave his shoulder another affectionate squeeze. “And Jack? You can come wake me up any time you want to. I’ll still be here for you, if you need me.”

“I’d like that.” 

“Until next time, then?” Cas asked. 

Jack nodded. “Yes. Until next time.” 

Jack watched as Castiel laid down and shut his eyes, a smile on his face. Jack would have to ask to hear the stories of his dreams the next time he visited. 

Because he would- he’d visit his mother in Heaven, his father in the Empty, and the Winchesters on earth. Maybe he’d go see Rowena in Hell, or visit other people. Maybe people he didn’t know. Maybe he’d sit on the moon and watch the stars twinkle. He could go to space, like Star Wars! 

Most importantly though, he was here. And he would keep the sun shining and the world turning and the people smiling. 

Jack let himself be carried off again, dissipating into sparks and light and molecules. He was still _him_ , but he was also… more. Built up and broken down and loved and lost and back again. He felt happy. He felt free.

Next stop- everywhere.

**Author's Note:**

> I am literally so proud of Jack that I cannot function. And I fully believe that he's going to go visit his parents intermittently as he brings peace to the universe. He's going to be SO GOOD AS GOD AHHHHHHHH
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Reviews would make me smile as wide as the end of this episode did!


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